In the extraction of coal, ore or other extraction products in longwall mining, the broken ground which is released in the longwall face at the breast by the longwall machine is transferred to a face conveyor, generally a scraper chain conveyor, and is transported by the latter through the longwall face as far as the end of the longwall face, where the longwall face opens into the gate which is drifted approximately at right angles to said longwall face. The broken ground is transferred there to a gate conveyor which is arranged in the gate, either directly or with the aid of a short transfer conveyor which extends parallel and next to the gate conveyor and which can participate in the advancing of the extraction and conveying devices in the longwall face during the proceeding extraction, at any rate over a limited length. Since the angular position of the face conveyor relative to the gate or transfer conveyor which is arranged in the gate can likewise change as a result of variable extraction conditions, the gate or transfer conveyor is attached to the face conveyor such that it can be moved pivotably to a limited extent relative to the latter about an axis which is arranged approximately perpendicularly with respect to the footwall. This is realized in the case of a face end which is realized by the applicant by way of a support, designed as a pivot mounting, for the end-side (main) drive station of the face conveyor, the lower part of the pivot mounting being supported on the footwall in the gate and having a lateral connection for the transfer or gate conveyor which is then situated below the delivery region of the face conveyor, in the state in which it is mounted on the pivot mounting.
Although the known solution has proven itself in practice, it is comparatively complicated and expensive, since the great support forces in the region of the (main) drive of the face conveyor have to be absorbed by way of the pivot mounting and have to be dissipated into the footwall in the gate, by which the pivotable mobility between the two conveyors may not be impaired. The axial bearing has to be of correspondingly large dimensions, in order to ensure the rotary mobility of the face conveyor drive relative to the lower part of the pivot mounting.